


News To A Newsie

by nhasablog



Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Friendship, Getting to Know Each Other, Tickling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-28
Updated: 2017-02-28
Packaged: 2018-09-27 13:49:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10023554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nhasablog/pseuds/nhasablog
Summary: Jack was the one to look away now. “Why you wanna get to know me for?”“Because you’re my friend?”“Bull.”“You are.” Davey turned toward him. “Stop pretending like this doesn’t mean anything.”(Or, Davey is trying to get to know him, and it’s freaking Jack out a little bit.)





	

**Author's Note:**

> My first Newsies fic that is several years overdue. I hope you enjoy!

Jack was many things, but he swore that he wasn’t trying to be modest despite the fact that it came off that way. He was a master of cockiness all right, but whenever someone complimented him - usually on his drawings - he didn’t wave them off to be decent. Whatever confidence Jack might’ve had - which was significantly less than what everyone suspected - he didn’t project into his art. He painted because he had to or he was afraid he would go insane. He didn’t paint because he thought he was any good.

The others didn’t understand how long Medda had had to beg him to paint that wall, and in the end he only did it because Medda was his friend and he wanted to help her out as much as she had helped him out just by her mere presence. It was the first time any piece of work of his was seen by more than a couple of people, and the thought terrified him so much that he kept quiet about his involvement for ages. Davey finding out was a coincidence. A goddamn accident that couldn’t be helped.

“I didn’t peg you as the modest type,” his new friend said after Jack waved off his praise.

“That’s because I ain’t.” He could tell from the look on Davey’s face that he didn’t believe him.

And ever since that day Davey always tried to bring it up; ask what he was working on or ask if Jack would one day willingly show him something he’d done. Jack could feel himself going into defense mode, as if he thought it all was fake and Davey was complimenting him for other, more selfish reasons. He knew that wasn’t the case, but he couldn’t stop himself. He always felt bad after snapping, but Davey should’ve given it a rest already.

But his friend was persistent, just like Jack. He guessed that was one of the reasons they worked so well together.

He was painting blue skies and yellow mountains that day, hiding behind a few malodorous trash cans in a narrow alley in an attempt to get some alone time. Davey found him, of course. Jack could sense him before he even cleared his throat to get his attention.

“You get used to it,” Jack told him without looking up.

Davey sank down slowly so that he was sitting beside him, and he was looking a little sick from the smell just like Jack suspected.

“Why are you hiding here?”

“What you stalking me for?”

Davey snorted. “I’m not.”

“How come you found me, huh?”

“I was _looking_ for you. That’s a whole different thing. If I’d been stalking you I would’ve known where you were.”

Jack barked out a laugh. “Okay, fair.”

Davey pointed at his notebook. “Whatchu drawing today?”

Jack closed it quickly. “Nothin’.”

“C’mon, Jack.”

“Lay off me, would ya? You know I ain’t gonna show you.”

“I don’t get you. You keep saying that you’re not being modest, and yet-”

“I told you. I ain’t being modest.”

“Then _what_ are you being?”

Jack shook his head. “You’re ridiculous. Why you keep asking all these questions for anyway?”

Davey averted his eyes, which was interesting. “I care about you, you know? And I wanna know more about you, but you’re making it damn hard to get in.”

Jack had absolutely no idea what to respond. People didn’t go around _asking_ to get to know him. It just didn’t happen, and yet here Davey was, doing just that as if Jack was the most interesting person in the world. It scared him, he had to admit, because at one point or another Davey would realize that no, Jack wasn’t interesting at all. Just another street rat with dreams. Not fascinating enough to keep around.

Jack was the one to look away now. “Why you wanna get to know me for?”

“Because you’re my friend?”

“Bull.”

“You are.” Davey turned toward him. “Stop pretending like this doesn’t mean anything.”

“What’s it mean then, Davey? Huh? As soon as you get enough dough you gon be back in school and forget all about your newsie days, so what’s the point anyway?” Jack had no idea where this all came from, but he found himself unable to stop. “Why’d you keep pretending like that’s not how it’s gonna end?”

Davey looked as surprised as Jack felt. “Is _that_ what you think of me? You think I quit friends?”

“How should I know what you do?”

“Maybe you would if you bothered to, I don’t know, get to know me back?”

“This talk is over.”

“Jack, for- please, can you _stop_ for just one second and sit back down?” Jack did, albeit reluctantly. “I didn’t come to fight with you.”

“Then why’d you come?”

“To hang out like friends do.”

“And force me to show you my stuff.”

“Okay, fine, whatever, you don’t have to show me anything. But finding out more about you would be nice.”

Jack was silent for a few seconds before saying, “Okay.”

“Okay?”

“We can talk. Ask away or whatever.”

Davey did so immediately, so Jack reckoned he’d had questions for a while now. “How long have you been drawing?”

“Ever since I was a kid and could hold a pen.”

“When’d you start dreaming of going to Santa Fe?” Davey probably didn’t dare push the drawing subject.

Jack shrugged. “It’s been my dream for so long that I don’t remember when it started. Can I ask questions back?”

“Of course.”

“D’you like school?”

“Yes,” Davey was quick to say. “I do. I love learning.”

“D’you like it better than being a newsie?”

He hesitated now. Jack could tell. “I like both in different ways.”

“Explain.”

“In school I get to learn. Out here I get to do.”

Jack sort of understood what he meant. “Whatchu wanna do then, Davey? After school, I mean.”

“I’m not sure. Write maybe.” He let out a laugh. “Wouldn’t that be ironic.”

Jack grinned. “Would I be sellin’ papes with Davey Jacobs’ stuff inside?”

“That depends. Would you still be selling papes?” Jack didn’t reply. Davey got the hint. “So,” he said, slightly too loudly. “Where do you sleep in the winter?”

“I always find sumthin’.”

“That doesn’t sound very secure.”

“This life ain’t secure, Davey, you know that.”

Davey sighed. “Yeah. I’m sorry.”

“Whatchu apologizing to me for?”

“I don’t know.”

“So don’t. It’s a waste of words.”

“You know,” Davey suddenly said, his tone different from before. “You have this tough guy act going on, but I can see right through it.”

“What do you mean?”

“You act all tough and defensive, but I know you only do so because this life forces you to.”

“What, you think I’m secretly different?”

“I know you are.”

Jack snorted. “Right. Look at you, having me all figured out.”

“It’s a talent of mine.”

“I bet it is.”

Davey nudged him in the ribs. “You can’t hide from me, Jack Kelly.”

Jack jerked away from the touch. “Maybe I should stop trying then.”

Another nudge. “Maybe you should.”

“Stop doing that.”

“Why?”

“It’s annoying.”

“Or you’re ticklish.”

“Yeah, right.”

“I think you are.”

He reached out to properly poke at Jack’s rib cage now, and Jack couldn’t help but to bat his hands away with a stupid smile etched on his lips. “I’m gonna kick you all the way to Brooklyn if you don’t stop.”

“Okay, Spot Conlon. You do that.”

Jack was laughing now, both at Davey’s joke and at Davey’s hands that had returned to his upper body. “Dohon’t, you’re so annoying.”

“Have you met yourself?”

“You’re rude too.”

“It’s an evening of discoveries. We’re getting to know each other.”

“I wanna make better discoveries than that.”

“Make an effort then.”

Davey probably wasn’t expecting Jack to do just that, so he let out a loud yelp when Jack moved closer to wiggle his own fingers over his friend’s neck. He’d noticed the way Davey sometimes flinched when people got to close there, and he’d been dying to try it out. Davey was giggling instantly, and had he not been so stubborn and kept tickling Jack back Jack might’ve kept going, but their play fight was cut short.

“Okay, okahay,” Jack said as he withdrew his hands and watched Davey do the same. “That’s one thing we now know about each other.”

“A thousand more to go then,” Davey replied. “I hope you got time.”

“Oh, I got all the time in the world. Well, at least till tomorrow’s headline.” And curiously enough, he found himself not dreading it. In fact, he was looking forward to getting to know Davey better.

Talk about news to a newsie.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [tumblr](http://nhasablog.tumblr.com)


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